This application relates to systems for chopping or comminuting food stuff and, in particular, to hand-operated choppers of the reciprocating types.
Various types of reciprocating food choppers have heretofore been provided. They typically include some type of housing which, either alone or in combination with some underlying support surface, confine food item to be chopped by means of a vertically reciprocating chopping blade which is moved within the housing by a vertically reciprocating plunger/handle assembly, which may be spring-loaded to a raised position. The plunger assembly may be provided with an indexing mechanism which rotates the blade assembly slightly during each up/down cycle of the plunger assembly. Such choppers may be subjected to rather severe shocks and vibrations, particularly when chopping relatively hard food stuffs, such as nuts or the like. The repeated shocks of the engagement of the blade assembly with the food stuff and/or with the underlying support surface can cause damage to the structure of the chopper and may also be painful or uncomfortable for a user.
The prior choppers are often of relatively complex and expensive construction and may be difficult to assemble.